Garage-door-opening mechanism



1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 E. J. HUNTEMER GARAGE DOOR OPENING MECHANISM Filed June' 19.

New. 11 1924.

Nov. 11

E. J. HUNTEMER GARAGE DOOR OPENING MECHANiSM Fild June 19.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Nov. 11 1924 E. J. HUNTEMER GARAGE noon OPENING MECHANISM 3 Shets-Shet 5 Filed June 19. 1923 Nov; 11, 1924.

S T E S GARAGE-DOOR-OPENING MECHANISM.

Application filed June 1a, 1923. Serial No. 64,434.

To all'whomz'tma concern:

Be it known t at L'Envnnn J. HUNTE- MER a citizen of the United States, residin at Wayne, in the county of Wayne and a State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garage" Door-Opening Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

ThlS invention relates to improvements in door operating mechanisms.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of a door operating mechanism by means of which the doors of, ga-

rages may be opened by an approaching vehicle without the necessity of tlie,driver of the vehicle dismounting to manually 'open the door.

A further and important object of thislocked or unlatched by the bumper or other portion of a vehicle approaching the garage or like structure.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the views:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved door structure, showing certain details of the operating means as used in connection therewith.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary horizontal cross sectional view, taken through the door'arrangement of a garage or like structure, showing the improved operating details.

Figure 3 is an inside elevation of the improved operating mechanism, showing the application upon the door arrangement of a arage; the doors being closed.

igure 4 is a fragmentary view, part1 in cross section, showing the manner in w ich the bumper of an approaching vehicle may cooperate against the operating mechanism tofacilitate door opening.

Figure 5 is a fragmentar cross sectional view, showing certain detai s of theoperat- 'ing mechanism, as they appear when the door is in closed position.

Figure 6 is a side elevation, partly in cross section, of the details illustrated in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a'fragmentary view, partly in cross section, showing details as illustrated in Figure 5, although with the doors in open position.

Figure 8 is an enlarged view, partly in cross section, showing a floor bolt arrangement in locked position.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary side elevation, part]. in cross section, showing improved detaiis of-the door operating mechanism.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown but the preferred embodiment of this invention the letter A may generally designate the door arrangement, which may include doors B and C, and in connection with which an operating mechanism H is used, which may include a bolt latching or. looking arrangement K, and lever means L for operating the bolt arrangement K.

Referrin to the door arrangement A, it is preferre that the door B thereof include sections 10 and 11, which are relatively hinged, at 12, upon the outside of the door B. The section 10 is preferably hinged, as at 13, to the inside of a wall 14 of the building construction M, which in most instances would be a garage; so that the sections 10 and 11 may swing inwardly of the structure M, and when the door B is opened will lie in abutting relation, substantially as is illustrated in the dotted line in Figure 2 of the drawings. It is preferred to provide a trackway 20 upon the inside of the wall 14 above the door B, over which rollers 21 may ride; which rollers are connected by-a bracket 22 at the upper outer corner of the door section 11, so that the door sections 10 and 11 may always swing in open or closed position in a defined path of movement. The door C is preferably onl of one section, and is hingedly connecte ,as at 23, to the inside of the wall 14, so that the same swings inwardly of the structure M similar to the door B. It ispreferred that the operating mechanism H be such as to maintain the doors B and C closed in locked or latched position. It is also preferredthat leaf 35.

the doors B and C will swing open, without manual aid, upon release of the bolt latch and lock arrangement K. To this end, a weight 25 is connected to the upper outer corner of the door section 11, adjacent the bracket 22, as by a cable 26, which is trained over a pulley 27 attached to a side wall 29 of the building structure M. The door C is similarly provided with a weight 30, at tached to the upper outer corner thereof, as by means of a cable 31 which is trained over a pulley 32 attached to the opposite side wall 33 of the building structure M.

Referring to the bolt latch and lock arrangement K as a part of the operating mechanism H, a leaf member 35 is aflixed to the inside surface of the door section 11, adjacent the hinged juncture of the sections 10 and 11, and preferably nearer the bottom of the door B than the top thereof; said leaf 35 preferably providing a bearing lug 36 extending inwardly of the door B, and substantially at right angles to the plane of the This bearing lug 36 pivotallyreceives a lever 37 thereon, as at 38*, intermediate the ends of the lever 37, so that said lever may extend as to one arm portion 38 from the pivot point 38 toward the outside of the door B, between the juncture line of the sections 10 and 11, substantially as is illustrated in Figure 5 of the drawings. The other arm portions 39 ofthe lever 37 extends in facing relation within the structure M.

A floor bolt 40 is preferably provided at the outside of the door B, at the juncture line of the sections 10 and 11, being slidably mounted in space aligning barrel. portions ll and 42 of a support 43 which is bolted or otherwise secured to the outside surface of the door section 11, substantially as is illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings. The bolt 40 which is adapted for cooperation within a floor keeper 44 is preferably mounted upon a vertical axis for sliding, and at its upper end is provided with an enlarged head 45 with an annular groove 46 thereabout, and into which annular groove extend oppositely positioned aligning lugs iZ; said lug 4;? being carried by the arcuate shaped bifurcation 49 at the outer end of the arm 38 of lever 23?. The fingers or lugs ii are of course slidablc about the groove into which they extend. In that portion of the floor bolt 40, between the barrel portions 41 and 42 which slidably support the same, a diametrical slot 50 is provided, the function of which will be subsecinei .y' described in connection with the description of the lever means At its free end, the arm portion 89 of lever 3i pivotally receives the laterally turned end of upper vertical latch rod 56, against liability of detaclunent there from, as by means of a Washer and cotter pin 59. The latch rod 56 extends vertically 'upward'to the top of the door l3 and slidably extends through a housing 59, and at its top is adapted for cooperation within a keeper 60, which may be secured to the door casing or to the front wall 14, substantially as is illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings. This provides a latch or locking means whereby the door B may be latched in closed position. It is also preferred that a latch may be provided whereby the doors B and (3 may be latched or locked together. To this end, a bell crank lever 62 is pivotally mounted, as at 63, to the inside of the door section 11, including one arm portion 65 which slidably extends intermediate flanges 66 provided rigid upon the rod 56. The other arm portion 67 of the bell crank 62 pivotally receives a sliding latch rod 68 thereon, which extends through a housing 69 at an outer margin of the door section 11, so that the free end of the latch rod 68 may cooperate within a keeper 70 mounted upon the door C, substantially as is illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawin s. lln connection with the sliding latch r0 68, a lock 7 2 may be provided, whereby said rod maybe locked in a secure position from the outside of the building M, which will also lock the lever 37 in a fixed position, so that the floor and top bolts 40 and 56 cannot be moved. An operating lever 73 of any approved construction may be used in connection with the lock 72, for operating the rod 68 and consequently the entire latch mechanism for the door sections. This lock mechanism may be of any approved construction, and may be used in connection with any of theisliding bolt or latch parts of the arrangement K.

Referring to the means L for operating the bolt latch or lock arrangement K, a relatively long lever 75 is provided, which at one end thereof is pivoted as to a pin or bolt 76; the pivot point of the lever 5 lying at the inside of the door B, while said lever extends transversely thru the hinged juncture oi: the sections 10 and 11, so that when the door sections 10 and 11 are closed and in the same plane, the lever 75 projects substantially at right angles and hori- Zontally from the outer surface of the door B, substantially as is illustrated in Figures and 5 of the drawings. The forward. end 70 of the lever 75 is upturned, so its convex side the lever 72' may receiv bumper 78 of a vehicle U, for openi doors, as will be subsequently desciioed. The pivot pin or bolt Y5 is preferably 1 ed upon leaves 80 and 81, which are i tively supported by the door sections i 11, as by means of connecting linlrs ar 8% of leaf like formation. The l a pivotally connected, at 86, to the above mentioned which pivotally the lever The connecting lea" inner end is pivotally connected to the support leaf 81, as by a pintle 87. The connecting leaf 83 is pivotally connected to .a leaf '90, which may be mounted in any approved manner upon the inside surface of the door section 10; said'leaf 83 being connected to the leaf 90 as by a pintle 91. At its inside end, the connecting leaf 83 is pivotally connected to the support leaf 80 as by a pintle 92. The leaves 80 and 81 are maintained in parallel planes, by means of the bolt or fastening means 76, although permitting free oscillative movement of the lever therebetween. The operating lever 75 extends forwardly between the door sections 10 and 11;-thru#the"s1ot 50 of the floor bolt ,40, so that upon lifting of the lever 75, the door latch bolt 40 will be op-' erated for drawing the bolt 56 downwardly to release the same from its keeper 60.

Referring more particularly to the operation of this invention, assuming the doors B and C to be closed, as is illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings, upon approach of the vehicle 0, as illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawings,.the bumper 78.

will engage the operating lever 75 substan-' tially as is illustrated in Figure 4, and move the'same upwardly upon its pivot pin 76. As above mentioned, this will elevate the floor bolt 40' and will draw the bolts 40 and 56 from their keepers. The sliding bolt 68 which latches the doors B and C together will also be withdrawn. Under the influence of the weights 25 and- 30 the doors B and C will then swing open, and the vehicle driver may propel the vehicle within the garage M, without the necessity of having dismounted from the vehicle to attend to opening of the doors. The novel connection of the operating lever 75 permits the same to be compactly disposed between the door sertions 10 and 11 as they swing into folded relation upon opening of the doors.

-As is illustrated in Figure 5 of the drawings, the leaves and 81 which directly support the lever 75 are arranged in the same plane with their connecting links 'or ing from the vehicle approaching the garage.

doors.

The simplicity of the automatically operated mechanism is apparent, as all novel features are provided directly upon the doors, in contradistinction to overhead leverage systems and depressible platforms, which are all of complicated and expensive construction.

Various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be made to theform of invention herein shown' and deof this invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim: p 1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a hinged door including a pair of relatively hinged sections, of a scribed, without departing from the spirit latch mechanism connected to said door ineluding an operating lever extending outwardly from the plane of the door when in closed position, and adapted for disposal between the door sections when they are folded upon each other.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a hinged door including a pair of relatively hinged sections, of a latching mechanism including an operating lever pivotally connected at the juncture of said sections to normally extend transversely of the door when the sections are relatively apart.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a hinged door including a pair of relatively hinged sections, of a latching mechanism including an operating lever pivotally connected at the juncture of said sections to normally'extend transversely of the door when the sections are relatively apart, and adapted upon relative folding of the sections to be positioned between the sections in an out of-the way location.

4. A door operating mechanism including a lever pivoted to' the door intermediate its ends, a bolt pivoted to the leverat one side lever pivot point, and an operating lever pivotally connected indirectly to said door structure whereby the doors may -be moved with respect to said lever, said lever extending to engage one of said bolts.

5. In combination with a pair of hinged. ly connected doors,a lever pivotally connected to one of said doors, a floor bolt pivotally connected to one end of said lever to one s1de of'the pivot point thereof, a top bolt pivotally connected to the other end of the lever at the other side of the pivot point thereof, a slide bolt pivotally connected to one of said doors adapted to engage the other for relative latch connection of said doors, and

a bell crank mechanism carried by one ofv said doors and en aging said slide bolt and 'top bolt for sync ronous operation of the same.

6. In combination with a pair of hinged ly connected doors, a lever pivotally connected to one of said doors, a floor bolt pivotally connected to one end of said lever to one side of said lever pivot point, a second boltpivoted to the lever at the other side of said of the pivot point thereof, at top bolt pivotolly connected to the other end of the lever at the other side of the pivot point thereof, a slide bolt pivoteily connected to one of said. doors adopted to engage the other for relative latch connection of said doors, e beii crank mechanism cemied by one of said mae eee doors and engaging said slide iboit end top bolt for synchronous opemtion of the some, and e lever pivoted to one of said domes engaging one of the bolts thereof ope? etion off the some,

EDVERD J. i 

